Panhandle Trail Quarry Area as part of Rock The Quarry

I alternate a focus on paintings and photos with each year of the show, beginning with paintings in 2014. This year the focus is on photography. I’ve been casting around in my many photos of the Panhandle Trail and the surrounding woods for one image to feature this year, and I’ve been pushing around a set of about six and can’t decide. So I’ve decided instead to feature a signature photo representing each season that had not been featured in a prior exhibit. At the actual exhibit I’ll group three or four focus photos for each season.

In addition I’ll have paintings and sketches from previous exhibits, prints of photos and paintings, and new handmade gift items featuring my art and photography of the trail: keepsake boxes, decorative trays, cabochon pendants, gift bags and coasters, and who knows what else.

I’ve been visiting the Panhandle Trail since 2002 with my bike and on foot, for exercise and inspiration, more inspiration than exercise, packing in with backpacks of camera equipment and art supplies. I’ve taken thousands of photos along the trail and off in the woods, but I’ve also done a number of sketches while there in pencil, charcoal, pastel and watercolor, and arriving home in my studio to do more from photos. I’ve collected a number of these for an exhibit, but not in a gallery—right on the trail, where I’ve spent so much time and found these inspirations. It’s the place where I found the scene of one of my favorite paintings, “Dusk in the Woods”.

From the very first show it’s been one of my best and one of my favorites. Most of all I love to get the chance to talk to others who love their trail and share with them both the familiar places and the extraordinary moments.

My display in 2018…

Gift items

My tent

Below are the new gift items I added to my display this year. Click on each image to see the listing and purchase if you’d like.

Trees of the Trail Coasters

Trees of the Trail coasters

Trays Inspired by Trail Scenes and Wildflowers

Wooden trays for my exhibit.

Found Along the Panhandle Trail Keepsake Cubes

Set of Seven Keepsakes Inspired by Nature

Wildflowers and Butterflies of the Trail Cabochon Pendants

Cabochon Pendants made with photos of wildflowers and butterflies from the trail.

Here is a gallery of images of my display.

My tent

The art wall.

Lots of art prints in the print rack.

Larger photo prints

Small originals and photos

The smaller photo prints and my featured painting

Prints of prior paintings

Gift items

Gift items

Framed photos

Photography from Previous Exhibits

The following five photos were features in this year’s exhibit, all taken on the morning of March 10, 2017. To visit the page to purchase a photo, click the image.

Dramatic Light

Dramatic Light

When I reached the trail that day the sun was just beginning to break through small holes in the the clouds that cast beams of sunlight like spotlights. I knew I wanted a photo of an icy, snowy tree completely alight against the deep gray clouds of the storm as they left the area. The photo above was from the very beginning, as soon as I arrived at the trail and I saw the sun moving over the trees, changing every moment. I just began photographing, zooming in and out, capturing different lighting. Everyone who saw the photo recognized the bridge as the very first one on the trail and knew exactly where I’d taken the photo.

Though “Dramatic Light” was my first love from that magical morning, there was another photo I wanted to capture just as much. As I drove to the trail I looked at all the tree-covered hills that looked as if they were frosted with powdered sugar. I did photograph a few of the hills, but I knew that the steep hills surrounding the valley where the trail and Robinson Run were would be even more dramatic, and when I arrived, as soon as I’d photographed “Dramatic Light”, I turned to the hill on the left and it did not disappoint. The sun moved like a spotlight over the hill and I did capture several where one treetop of many was highlighted. But it was when a quick flash of hazy sun through thinning clouds touched the hillside that I saw what I’d envisioned: treetops frosted with white to fill the frame. As I organized my exhibit “Frosted” quickly captured me and I decided to use that photo as my feature at the front of my tent.

Frosted

“Frosted”, matted and framed. Framed size is 20 x 30.

And here is the photo.

Frosted

Both “Dramatic Light” and “Frosted” are matted with black core mats and framed with a 2.25″ matte black wood frame.

Photos always included in the exhibit

Clicking on any image in the gallery will bring up a full-size image, and you can also see the images in a slideshow. I know that some are missing from here because I decided at the last minute to include them.

Only a few of the images below are available on this site. Now that I know which ones are more popular at exhibits I will add them.

What’s the quarry? The Panhandle rail line, which was removed to built the trail in the old rail bed, runs right through a century-old limestone quarry, a portion of which is still actively quarried. The quarry ponds are there and that and the woods around make a natural gathering place.

I use this trail all the time, and part of my giveback is to maintain their website and the little bit of social networking that we do, along with photographing things. I use to volunteer during the event, usually in the kitchen dishing out easy food, but this is much more fun.

All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in using one in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of this image or a product including this image, check to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit “purchasing” for availability and terms.

All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in using one in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of an image or a product including this image, check to see if I have it available already.